Cabinet committee allows construction of high-rises near airports

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet’s sub-committee on high-rise buildings has decided to allow the construction of multi-storey buildings within a radius of 15.24 kilometers of every airport under international aviation laws.

Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who presided over a meeting of the committee, said a final decision in this regard will be taken by the cabinet.

He explained Civil Aviation Rules-1994 (Rule 68) defines height restriction in terms of various Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) around an aerodrome up to a maximum limit of 15.24 kilometers.

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also defines similar criteria to safeguard aerodrome, he added.

Besides these OLSA, the minister said, instrument flight procedures for aircraft operation have to be safeguarded through obstacle clearance criteria to ensure clear flights paths. For all remaining areas falling within the obstacle limitation surfaces, provisions of Rules 68 and ICAO relevant standards shall remain in force, he said.

Mr Khan said that skyscrapers within a 15.24-kilometer radius of airports are quite dangerous for aircraft landing and take-off.

The Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar, Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan and other Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official attended the meeting.